Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Catalog Data

Worn by:
Willie Howard Mays Jr., American, born 1931  Search this
Signed by:
Willie Howard Mays Jr., American, born 1931  Search this
Subject of:
Major League Baseball, American, founded 1869  Search this
San Francisco Giants, American, founded 1958  Search this
Medium:
wool blend, plastic, ink, and thread
Dimensions:
H x W x D (On Form): 35 1/2 × 26 × 12 in. (90.2 × 66 × 30.5 cm)
H x W (Flat): 35 × 29 1/2 in. (88.9 × 74.9 cm)
Type:
jerseys
sports uniforms
Place used:
San Francisco, California, United States, North and Central America
Date:
1959
Description:
A short-sleeved beige baseball jersey. There are seven (7) clear plastic buttons going down the center front of the jersey on the proper right side and the buttonholes are on the proper left side. The jersey reads [GIANTS] across the front with the "GIA" on the proper right side and the "NTS" on the proper left side. The "G" and the "S" have a series of curves and pints around them. The letters are black patches with orange outlines.
The neckline has a thin black stripe going around it with an orange line on either side. There is a thin black band going around the bottom of each sleeve with a thin orange band on either side of the black band. There is a slit on either side of the jersey starting at the bottom and going up a couple of inches. There are several small holes near the armpits.
The proper right side of the jersey is signed in blue ink. It reads [Willie Mays]. It is signed diagonally and is placed several inches down below the "G". On the bottom proper left side of the jersey there are two rectangular felt pieces sewn on with white thread. The top piece has [W. Mays] sewn onto it in black thread. The bottom piece has [1959] sewn onto it in black thread.
The back of the jersey has a large [24] sewn onto it. The numbers are black patches with an orange background. It is located in the center of the top half of the jersey.
There is an interior manufacturer's label near the neckline. The tag is white and has black and red lines. There is a red [Wilson] logo at the top. Below there are cleaning instructions in three steps typed in black. To the proper left of the instructions there is a size [42] typed in black. At the bottom is reads [WILSON SPORTING GOODS CO. /MADE IN U.S.A.] in black.
Topic:
African American  Search this
Athletes  Search this
Baseball  Search this
Clothing and dress  Search this
Sports  Search this
Credit Line:
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number:
2016.159.5
Restrictions & Rights:
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
See more items in:
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title:
Jock Michael Smith Collection
Classification:
Clothing-Historical
Data Source:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd539cce548-3834-4f17-84eb-137c3339adf3
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmaahc_2016.159.5